popeye the sailor

hi all.........thank you for the interest    I also want to thank whoever changed the title, but I have to get a few things for it before I start.  I thought this to be a method too juicy to ignore.  this scheme has been done before.......I'm not uncovering something new.  I want to go over the directions.......answering your comments as I go.  for starters Egilman......correct sir, there are multiple camo patterns used.  there are kits out there that even supply the covering {not sure what they are made of} to add the authenticity to the model.  decals can be purchased and companies like Eduards, Roden and Wingnut, even include them in their kits.  I've seen some of these kits.........a bit expensive for my taste  {but the subjects are beautiful}.  as is mentioned in the Aurora directions, the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces are two different planes.  the upper plane is the darker surface.  in a four-color camo scheme, the base color is medium tan, with the following colors greenish orchid, light olive, and dark blue/gray.  for the lower plane, which is done in lighter colors, the base color is light mustard, followed by forest green, pale green/pink, and dark green/purple.  keen to note is that there was no rhyme or reason........if they ran out of a roll, another roll was used, they didn't bother to match up the colors, creating a visible seam.
   adding a primer color under decals sounds like a very good idea.  I'm not sure how I'm going to do this.  thanks for the head's up  
 
believe it or not Ken........that is the method Aurora directs the modeler to use.  only the lower plane needs to be done for this model.  so, this will be the underwings, the underside of the stabilizer, and the underside of the fuselage.  trapping carbon paper between the model parts and the template, the designs are traced onto the parts and painted by hand afterwards.  one would need a fine point for the tracing........would transfer the lines to the parts, but not damage the template.  for an added bit of detail, the directions mention that the wing and stabilizer ailerons would be installed after the wings were built, so alteration of the pattern position should be considered.  
 
I might try and import the template into the decal maker I have.  I can also try photo shop.  one hurdle I see would be the color spectrum that each one of these programs use.  the colors might not be exactly what the directions specified.  an alter though I have, is that the dark blue/gray, pale green/pink, and dark green/purple are either/or colors....could be one or the other.  this definitely would open the door to a camo scheme consisting of several colors..........but I'm not a color counter, and to say that I've seen it, I cannot say.  for those who have done this, my hat's off to you.........I have been wanting to try this, seeing that this camo is quite prominent in all the pictures I've seen.  one does not need to be a Picaso, the directions state.  the overall look of the camo will hide small goofs  
 
thank you, folks, for your well wishes and concerns over our recent setback here at the homestead.  out of eight rooms {including the bathroom}, six of them have been affected in one way or another.  I haven't seen it, but I hear that the third floor is in pretty tough shape!  I gave the gent on second floor credit for lessening the damage to our apartment...........that guy {even though he is an avid pot smoker}, was like a one-armed paper hanger in his efforts to catch the water onslaught with buckets and whatever would hold water.  third floor did absolutely nothing....they just sat back and watched!  they were moving anyway, and they did so the day the demo work began in their apartment.  second floor have no recourse, being section eight.........their rent is shared by the state, and they have no renter's insurance.  we on the other hands are limited as well.  even though we have renter's insurance, we would end up paying out more to relocate, and to remain here, we would have to pay the rent here to keep it.  then I heard that he told his insurance company about the vacancy on third floor, and they are going to pay him two months' rent for 'loss of use'.  he has been urging us to relocate, and this makes me suspicious that he would try and do the same to us.  we are not going to pay one dollar more on something that we did not cause, nor will we sit back and watch him make money over it either.  while he states that it's not his fault either, he is the landlord and should have control on the Maintenace of his property.  preventative maintenance is important too!  there is so much I can go into, but I don't want to cause retaliation at this point, so we will stay for the time being and see what happens.  I fondly refer to the place as Kruger's funhouse  

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all.........thank you for the interest    I also want to thank whoever changed the title, but I have to get a few things for it before I start.  I thought this to be a method too juicy to ignore.  this scheme has been done before.......I'm not uncovering something new.  I want to go over the directions.......answering your comments as I go.  for starters Egilman......correct sir, there are multiple camo patterns used.  there are kits out there that even supply the covering {not sure what they are made of} to add the authenticity to the model.  decals can be purchased and companies like Eduards, Roden and Wingnut, even include them in their kits.  I've seen some of these kits.........a bit expensive for my taste  {but the subjects are beautiful}.  as is mentioned in the Aurora directions, the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces are two different planes.  the upper plane is the darker surface.  in a four-color camo scheme, the base color is medium tan, with the following colors greenish orchid, light olive, and dark blue/gray.  for the lower plane, which is done in lighter colors, the base color is light mustard, followed by forest green, pale green/pink, and dark green/purple.  keen to note is that there was no rhyme or reason........if they ran out of a roll, another roll was used, they didn't bother to match up the colors, creating a visible seam.
   adding a primer color under decals sounds like a very good idea.  I'm not sure how I'm going to do this.  thanks for the head's up  
 
believe it or not Ken........that is the method Aurora directs the modeler to use.  only the lower plane needs to be done for this model.  so, this will be the underwings, the underside of the stabilizer, and the underside of the fuselage.  trapping carbon paper between the model parts and the template, the designs are traced onto the parts and painted by hand afterwards.  one would need a fine point for the tracing........would transfer the lines to the parts, but not damage the template.  for an added bit of detail, the directions mention that the wing and stabilizer ailerons would be installed after the wings were built, so alteration of the pattern position should be considered.  
 
I might try and import the template into the decal maker I have.  I can also try photo shop.  one hurdle I see would be the color spectrum that each one of these programs use.  the colors might not be exactly what the directions specified.  an alter though I have, is that the dark blue/gray, pale green/pink, and dark green/purple are either/or colors....could be one or the other.  this definitely would open the door to a camo scheme consisting of several colors..........but I'm not a color counter, and to say that I've seen it, I cannot say.  for those who have done this, my hat's off to you.........I have been wanting to try this, seeing that this camo is quite prominent in all the pictures I've seen.  one does not need to be a Picaso, the directions state.  the overall look of the camo will hide small goofs  
 
thank you, folks, for your well wishes and concerns over our recent setback here at the homestead.  out of eight rooms {including the bathroom}, six of them have been affected in one way or another.  I haven't seen it, but I hear that the third floor is in pretty tough shape!  I gave the gent on second floor credit for lessening the damage to our apartment...........that guy {even though he is an avid pot smoker}, was like a one-armed paper hanger in his efforts to catch the water onslaught with buckets and whatever would hold water.  third floor did absolutely nothing....they just sat back and watched!  they were moving anyway, and they did so the day the demo work began in their apartment.  second floor have no recourse, being section eight.........their rent is shared by the state, and they have no renter's insurance.  we on the other hands are limited as well.  even though we have renter's insurance, we would end up paying out more to relocate, and to remain here, we would have to pay the rent here to keep it.  then I heard that he told his insurance company about the vacancy on third floor, and they are going to pay him two months' rent for 'loss of use'.  he has been urging us to relocate, and this makes me suspicious that he would try and do the same to us.  we are not going to pay one dollar more on something that we did not cause, nor will we sit back and watch him make money over it either.  while he states that it's not his fault either, he is the landlord and should have control on the Maintenace of his property.  preventative maintenance is important too!  there is so much I can go into, but I don't want to cause retaliation at this point, so we will stay for the time being and see what happens.  I fondly refer to the place as Kruger's funhouse  

Glad to see you back, Denis. Events like that can be life altering.
 
Interesting subject. Like EG says, a good white primer, like Tamiya spray cans, should work well. And pursue the decals. Painting them on is way above and beyond.

Cool subject Denis, I'm in.  Hope your home situation is resolving itself.  Sounds like a real mess.

Good to see   you back Denis,   sorry to hear  about  your   situation  -  hope  you  get that  roof  sorted soon.
 
OC.

You can get waterslide decals for this pattern brother... (and several other patterns, 3 color, 4 color and 5 colors, light and dark, upper wing, lower wing etc. etc. come to mind) in 1/48th scale....
 
Sprue Brothers...
 
Aeromaster, Print Scale & Superscale, all the major decal manufacturers do them in 1/48.... You would need a good thin white primer coat to go under them.....

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

hi all........it's been a while since I last contributed anything.  the apartment is still in disarray since we got flooded in December.  for those just tuning in, we had a huge rainstorm in December........the roof peeled in the wind and sent water into all three floors of the apartment house.  we are on the first floor, so we suffered a lot less than the other floors.  so at this time,  wall are torn open.......the hobby room is empty.  I even had to put away the table in the computer room.
   leading up to this,  I was slowly working on another ship.........of course it got put on hold,  but I hope to start posting on that one soon {quite a journey to go on it}.  my desk seems to be the only surface I have to work with..........nothing new about that  
 
I got a few models this past Christmas.........a Japanese war ship,  couple of cars.....another B 25 {monogram}........and this little ditty,  an old Aurora kit {my love for these old German birds proceeds me}.
 
the kit was produced back in 1976.  it depicts Rudolph Berthold's plane, likely when he was in Jasta 18.  he and a comrade named Hans Muller came from Jasta 15 - 1917.........Berthold was promoted to commander.  by 1918, he transferred and August Raben took over.  interesting turn of events over there........I would need to find the rest of my notes.  both of these commanders adopted the raven as their insignia.  anyway........the subject here is the lozenge camo that these planes wore when they rolled off the assembly line.  when they got to the field,  they were painted in the squadron colors.  Berthold's Boys {what they called their squadron} was painted in blue and red.  Rabin's Ravens, as August called his squad,  was done in red and white.  also, each pilot could add a bit of artwork to designate their identity.  what didn't get decorated or painted over, usually remained in the lozenge camo.  the kit is molded in blue plastic.......likely a move by the manufacturer to aide the modeler along with the painting.  nice, but I would have been happier if the model was molded in white.........gonna be tough to cover over this blue......let alone the shade of blue     
the decals.....
I have a photo from Pheon decals covering both squadrons.
 
the crust of the biscuit lies here.......the diagram for the lozenge camo pattern.........

the sheet is about ten inches long.......the wing span of the model is 7 1/2 inches.  I found it interesting that older kits, this level of detail was explored.  I will get into the directions a bit later........fot the moment,  gotta go 
 
 

that looks to be one busy model!  I have a small collection of Billings catalogs and I've not seen one pictured.  {you've peaked my interest   }  where did you find the drawings?  look'in forward in seeing your progress!  

I figured a small update  was at hand  as you can see in the pic of the open bay the radiator hose had to get clipped for the cover to fit and then for the turret to fit I had to remove the top of the tran gear box.I think this will be the last of the full interior I build seeing once complete all you see is the skin.The build does give one the feel of how it was to some degree for the men that fought in tanks in general.The gun is just laying there I have to build the inner walls which hold the barrel before the lid of the turret is glued in play.

I am back on this build for a little bit of a go while/which parts have arrived for the Sharnhorst still have the bug for something else so here I am.I finished up the wheels and have started on the tracks now I see the comment 5 parts per track that almost 500 for each side I am getting more efficient though organization,preparation and good lighting along with a plan.The glue I am using for the nails is a mixture roughly 50/50 of Tamy Thick/thin I had to many nails coming out with the thin and tracks trying to weld this glues the head for the most part.I lay the 19 tracks in the guide and that 1/4" tamy tape gets applied down the center I can now pic up the track and drive the nails home while in hand.I then from the patch of green tape apply that CA that's activated by light and apply the teeth to the tracks every other track again holding in hand and the teeth with my fingers I leave a stub attached under good lighting.It is taking me about 30/40 minutes to finish a 19 track segment ATTM.
 
Tracks are finished except for adding one more link out to 97 96 would pull any slack out of the top.I black gloss based and painted them MM Gun Metal looks a dark iron grey.
 
Oh and it's mandatory to have "The Who" "Who's Next" playing Nice and loud in the background.

The instrument panel and other decal receiving parts were gloss coated with Tamiya LP clear gloss and I applied a black panel wash. The decals went on very good, it´s Cartograph quality, but I found, they needed an unusual long soaking time. I shattered one dial, because I started to apply it too early, but could recover the parts.
The fit and design of the decals is perfect, which can be seen with the switchboard on the IP, which is one large decal. It lay down perfectly after some applications of Tamiya decal adhesive softener type and pushing the decals down with a soft brush after heating them with a hairdryer.
The IP was matte coated at last
I decided against gloss for the bezels, which would be too shiny for my wanted appearance.
 

 

 
Cheers Rob

Among many other things, I finished the bombs, using a brown oil color wash and a light grey weathering pencil to highlight the rivets. The fuses were painted with Ak´s true metal wax brass.
 

 
The instrument panel got basically painted and after taking the pictures received a coat of gloss as preparation for decaling. 
 

 
The backside will be barely visible, so only a crude detail painting was applied.
 

 
Cheers Rob

Well, I finished the cockpit flooring and start with the detail painting of the cockpit area now. 
The wood finished cockpit floor was covered with two layers of chipping fluid, which I used for the firs time. I cannot see, where it performs better than hairspray, which I used successful multiple times, beside the smell.
After drying, I spray Nato black onto the floor, slightly mottled and as much, that the woodgrain was barely visible.
 

 
Next was the abrasion of Nato black with different tools, a stiff pointed brush, a fiber eraser, a toothpick and tweezers after dampening the area. I emphasized the wear, where boots might have scratched the color off, around the seats and close to the sliding tunnel for the crew.
That is where I am right now, but I guess, the apparently heavy used look will be a bit more restrained through adding lots of painted details and decals and seat belts.
 

 

 
Cheers Rob

The last step for today, was applying some wooden texture onto the cockpit floor. This is very crude and only made with a PE template, first spraying desert yellow, followed by red brown. I decided against the much more refined oil technique, because only a bit of this will be visible. Next, I apply some chipping fluid and then spray Nato black on top, which will then be scratched away with different tools.
 

 
Cheers Rob